Have you tried breaking it down? Like when I put in abiotics pacific silver fir, I came up with this and if you read it, you will see what climatic conditions it grows in. Does that help? Pay attention to habitat preferences…is that what they are asking for?

Look at this as well
That gives you the biological definition, but you’re right, com, this is a difficult search, the only reason I had a clue what you were talking about was that I just got back from Washington, Alaska and the Yukon and somewhere along the line, some tour guide mentioned it. Denali has incredible zones, but I haven’t seen that yet. Hopefully a biologist will come along. One of my rent-a-kids is a geologist, so I’ve picked up a bit from him.

Abiotic components from Wikipedia: In biology, abiotic components are non-living chemical and physical factors in the environment. Abiotic phenomena underlie all of biology, but at the same time both are better forgotten in the direct analysis of life as such. More generally, the sciences concentrated on lower level explanation are better forgotten when dealing with higher level phenomena.
From the viewpoint of biology, abiotic influences may be classified as light or more generally radiation, temperature, water, the chemical surrounding composed of the terrestrial atmospheric gases, as well as soil. The macroscopic climate often influences each of the above. Not to mention pressure and even sound waves if working with marine, or deep underground, biome.
Those underlying factors affect different plants, animals and fungi to different extents. Some plants are mostly water starved, so humidicity plays a larger role in their biology. Archaebacteria require very high temperatures, or pressures, or unusual concentrations of chemical substances such as sulfur, because of their specialization into extreme conditions. Certain fungi have evolved to survive mostly at the temperature, the humidity, and stability.
I believe you need to look at each zone and list the physical characteristics indicated above (temperature, dampness/humidity, amount of light, etc.).

@wtf: send aspirin soonest. I know about the Adirondacks because the summit subalpine terrain is really fragile and protected. Climbers are not allowed off the trail; rangers check frequently and give the hikers lectures on Lapland rosebay, rare mosses and high altitude birds. But it is very area-specific.

JP: Some textbooks aren’t that great, nor teachers that clear, unfortunately. Believe me, My son has been through thousands of dollars of them and I’ve found blatant errors and poor writing skills in more than a few.

gail, I’ve got a headache as well. The problem I see with this subject is that most of the online information is buried in very technical reports.

If I were you, I’d break it down the best I can and if you still don’t understand it after it has been discussed in class, go see the teacher privately and ask for a better explanation.

You can do it, stretch that brain, you’re smart enough. Go for it. How do you think gail and I got our degrees? It involves pain, unfortunately.

That doesn’t mean that you can’t give it your best and ask for follow-up. I was always impressed by students asking for follow-up and took that into account in the scheme of things. Find examples of zones that are in the world and deduce from that. Pacific Fir is easiest because that one is region specific. Think of everything around it that is abiotic that contributes to it. Research the climate and terrain and go from there.

@Comedian; Pick one area like the Pacific NW Cascades or lowland forests in one state and whang something out. Hell, I feel that I could write something just from having climbed in the Adirondack High Peaks. On the short trail from the parking lot to the summit of Whiteface Mt. (about 1/5 mile) the rare plant and moss life is labeled.

Then tell the teacher that you can’t find the info in the material they provided. This is High School Biology, not grad school. It is probably in your book and you think this will be easier to Google it. It won’t. I have seen people waste hours in college using Google instead of looking in the book they paid 150$ for.

I’ve browsed enough in Wikipedia to see some commonality in the geography of the zones. Is there more of the question which you have not shared (e.g. zones are relative to the pacific northwest, or Washington state, or?)?

@WTF: I’m trying! you don’t get it do you? Look at my last posts. I’m honestly crying right now trying to get this (please excuse my language) fucking report done! A little help is all that I’m asking for.

@Gail: I have my text book open on my lap, and I have literally (I seriously am not joking) looked at every page in the damn book.

You are apparently looking for the perfect and complete report you can copy or paraphrase and turn in to your teacher. That does not exist other than those in the hands of fellow students who have done the research and put the pieces together themselves, as a student should (as opposed to a beggar looking for a handout).